The Great Ming in the Box

Chapter 253: This Research Isn’t Meant for You

While the militia was farming experience points from Li Ying, at Waxi Pailou in Fengxin County, Jiangxi.

Song Yingxing gazed at a “stone” in his hand, lost in deep thought.

This was what the strange gray mud given to him by that peculiar Taoist priest days ago had turned into.

Following the instructions provided by the priest, he had mixed the gray mud with river sand, stirred it, then left it to settle.

After it solidified, it became this strange “stone.”

The stone was solid and sturdy.

Song Yingxing sensed that this stuff was vastly more useful than “sanhetu” (a traditional mixture of lime, clay, and sand).

Picking up the spring the priest had given him, he pressed it down, watching it spring open with a boing. His expression grew even more serious.

Recalling the priest’s parting words from their last meeting, he set off in the specified direction. Before long, he saw a small, dilapidated temple. The strange priest was lying inside, fast asleep.

Song Yingxing approached and cupped his fists respectfully. “Deity Master, I have carefully studied both items you gifted me. I wonder… what exactly are they? Where do they come from? I am currently writing a book titled ‘Heavenly Mechanisms and Fabrics,’ specifically intended to document the methods of creating such marvels. If you wouldn’t mind, could you teach me how to make these two wonders? I will record them in my book. Your name, Master, will surely be renowned for generations.”Ma Tianzheng sprang up in a flash, rubbing his drowsy eyes. “I don’t know that either. If you want the method for making these things, you need to go to Gaojia Village in Chengcheng County, Shaanxi…”

Song Yingxing: “Huh? That’s so far?”

Ma Tianzheng grinned broadly. “There are many more strange and fascinating things there. If you go take a look, perhaps… hehe…”

Song Yingxing’s heart began to pound against his ribs. Shaanxi? His elder brother had said that region was chaotic. But the desire to know, to truly know, to absolutely know the methods for creating these two items before him was overwhelming.

It felt like a hand was tickling the depths of his heart.

After much hesitation, Song Yingxing gritted his teeth. “Fine! I’ll go!”

Ma Tianzheng was overjoyed. Haha, excellent! The decree from the Deity, I’ve finally fulfilled the greater half! All that’s left now is to escort this middle-aged scholar into Gaojia Village.

Slapping the scabbard on his back, the three-foot green steel sword leaped out. Ma Tianzheng caught the hilt mid-air with a flourish, swished through a dazzling series of sword strokes, and laughed. “Since Mr. Song has decided, this humble priest shall escort you on your journey. Hahaha! Ordinary lowlifes pose no threat to this priest!”

…

Although Li Ying had been driven out of Chengcheng County, the danger for the county was not over.

The rebel band in Guyuan could still return!

After returning to Gaojia Village, the militia still had to maintain combat readiness at all times.

However, the battle against Li Ying had granted the militia soldiers, especially the ten gunmen in charge of the Three-Eyed Divine Firearms, some valuable combat experience.

That evening, as Li Daoxuan was enjoying a bowl of tomato meatball rice soup, he saw the ten firearm soldiers enter the artisans’ well, carrying their Three-Eyed Divine Firearms.

The ten soldiers looked rather despondent. Once in the artisans’ well, they formed a silent line in front of the blacksmith’s shop, as still as ten strange clay figures.

This spectacle thoroughly alarmed the artisans. Artisan Master Gao Yiyi hurried forward to meet them. “Gentlemen, what brings you here?”

The Captain of the firearm soldiers took a firm step forward, startling Gao Yiyi. Yet, when the Captain spoke, his voice was plaintive. “Artisan Master… could you, perhaps, find a way to make this firearm… more powerful?”

Gao Yiyi was puzzled. “Isn’t this firearm powerful enough? During test firing, it boomed and blasted a hole in the mountain wall.”

The Captain grimaced. “It’s powerful if it hits the enemy. The problem is, it often misses.”

Gao Yiyi: “How could it miss? If an arrow can hit the target, surely this can too.”

The Captain then recounted pitifully what had happened during the previous battle.

Gao Yiyi listened intently and finally exclaimed in understanding, “Ah, I see… It fires too close? Has no accuracy? Enemies dive for cover when they see the match cord burning? Our own soldiers can’t advance while the enemies are prone…”

The Captain nodded. “Exactly! Can’t you make some better firearms? We ten firearm soldiers are a joke now. We carry the most ‘powerful’ weapons but they’re utterly useless. After firing the firearm, we just end up holding a useless, two-handed long-handled hammer. We can’t even free our hands to use our bows, crossbows, or other weapons. Holding a hammer makes us look foolish.”

Gao Yiyi scratched his head. “But Three-Eyed Divine Firearms are all we know how to make. How about this: I’ll ask Li Da for you.”

Soon, Li Da was summoned. After hearing the Captain’s concerns, an awkward expression crossed Li Da’s face. “Ahem… The Three-Eyed Divine Firearm truly is an inferior firearm. Even the Deity said last time that it’s just for playing around. We’re supposed to move on to new firearms. But, well, I’m stuck again myself on this new design.”

Li Da had only recently solved the mechanism involving the firing pin and spring for the Silebo rifle.

With the spring issue resolved, handling the firing pin became simpler: place the spring inside a small tube, secure it with a mechanism, and when the mechanism is tripped, the spring snaps free, propelling the firing pin forward…

His biggest confusion now was: When this mechanism moves forward and strikes the bullet, why exactly does the bullet fire? Nothing lights the powder! How does the gunpowder explode? If the gunpowder doesn’t explode, how does the bullet fly out?

It was downright baffling.

The Deity had given him a drawing of the bullet. The very bottom was labeled “fire cap.” He stared and pondered but remained utterly perplexed, so the project was stalled right there.

Being somewhat shy by nature, he felt embarrassed to ask Gao Yiye to consult the Deity. He wrestled with it alone, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t grasp it.

It wasn’t until the ten firearm soldiers came calling that he finally poured out his troubles.

Li Daoxuan only then realized the progress was stuck on the “fire cap.” He found it somewhat amusing. Li Da, ah, you’re trying to do research that’s out of your field. This “fire cap” problem shouldn’t be yours to solve. It belongs to Xu Dafu, the head of the firearms bureau. You should have spoken up earlier.

He quickly signaled for Gao Yiye to relay a message.

Li Da was surprised. “Oh? This should be handled by Xu Dafu?”

“Exactly!” Li Daoxuan’s gentle voice explained. “As times progress, creating a new weapon demands more and more techniques, often spanning multiple trades. It’s no longer something a single ironworker can manage alone. It requires the collaboration of various artisans and the integration of diverse technologies. Remember, you mustn’t cling to the idea that, ‘I can finish this entirely by myself.’ When you encounter something beyond your understanding, you must seek out the craftsmen skilled in that specific field.”